Monday, 8 July 2013

Baby Animals And Their Parents Definition

Source(google.com.pk)

For most animal species, keeping in touch with other animals of their species if often essential to their survival. Animals communicate with one another for a variety of reasons including hunting for food, warning others of approaching danger and attracting a mate. Different animals use different methods to communicate including eye-movements in lizards, body language, noises and hand gestures. Female glow-worms even light up their tails in order to let the males know where they are. Animal communication can be easily identified around the world, and noises such as whistles, chirps, bellows, screams, howls, grunts and squeaks are common throughout all of our habitats.Instinct in animals is something which is engrained into that animal when it is still developing and hasn't even been born yet. Instinct is thought to be hereditary, passed on from the parents so baby animals instinctively know how to get food from their parents. Although instinctive behaviour is behaviour at a very basic level, without natural instinct many animals simply would not survive as baby birds wouldn't know how to get food from their mother and beavers wouldn't know how to build a dam. Many animals rely on their instincts to sense approaching danger, or when searching for a mate.Intelligence in it's simplest form is the ability to make a decision based on having learnt from previous experiences, how much an animal remembers and their levels of communication. Despite being the most dominant animals on Earth, the level of human intelligence does not greatly exceed the level of intelligence of a number of other animals including, dolphins, apes and dogs. Many animals that migrate long distances every year, somehow must know which path they are taking, or which direction to swim in, some remember completely using "landmarks" to ensure they are on the right track and the ability for sea turtles to always land on the same spot, on the same beach is still a mystery.In order to survive successfully within their environment animals often have a number of ways in which they do things, known as strategies. Animals have various strategies for defending themselves, hunting prey, resting and finding a mate, all of which differ between animal species but can also differ greatly within a species. Many animal species that live together in groups, often have a dominant (alpha) male member who defends and protects his females and their young. Male lions for example, protect their females and cubs from harm by either intimidating or attacking unwanted intruders. The female lions are the ones who hunt for food, and they often develop quite complicated and technical techniques in order to catch prey more successfully.The ability to be able to disappear into their surrounding environment is vital to the survival of numerous animal species around the world. Some animals have similar colourings to their surroundings so that they can blend in completely such as gerbils in the sand, where other animals have colours and markings which help them go unseen, like a zebra in a forest is harder to spot thanks to it's striped body markings. Other animals, such as chameleons are able to adapt their camouflage to their surroundings for example, by changing from brown coloured on ground level, to green and blue when it is hiding in the foliage.Animals like to be in the right place at the right time, in order to be able to get enough food and to breed successfully. Many animals all over the planet embark on epic migrations that can go on for thousands of miles. The most common migrations are those of birds that leave the northern hemisphere as it cools in the winter, and fly to warmer climates in the south. When the winter is over and the weather gets warmer again, the birds return north. Many animal species migrate including wildebeest who follow the African rains, sardines that stick to the cold-water currents, and caribou in the Arctic Circle who embark on the longest-land migration every summer in huge numbers.

Each year in spring and early summer, people find baby birds or mammals in their backyard or in a local park. The babies are often cute, helpless, and seem friendly. People usually think the animal needs their help and want to bring it in. These well meaning individuals usually assume the babies are orphans.

Don’t kidnap baby animals! If you see a baby, don’t just assume it’s an orphan. If you find a quietly resting baby that appears healthy, it’s best to leave it alone. Many of the baby animals brought to nature centers and wildlife rehabilitators didn’t need to be “rescued”. I have worked at various nature centers, and I cannot tell you how often people show up with a baby animal in a cardboard box. My adivce the them is always “Don’t kidnap that baby. Take it back where you found it.”

Most babies are still under the watchful eye of their parents from a distance. Adult wild animals leave their young in hiding for a short time while they search for food. Sometimes a wild animal is scared away from its young, but it will return to feed or care for the baby once danger has passed. Unlike human babies, wild babies are not constantly watched by their parents and spend large amounts of time alone. This is especially true of mammals.

In most cases, wild animal babies should be left alone. If you see or find a baby animal, it is best to leave the area quietly to let the adult animal return as soon as possible. Do not take wild animals out of the wild. It is against the law to keep wild animals without a special permit. Do not let your pet near a wild animal. Pets can get infected with some wildlife diseases.

Baby mammals are usually found when the nest has been destroyed or disturbed in some way. Den sites of squirrels and raccoons can by dislodged by high winds during storms. They are best placed into a box set at the base of the tree. The mother will usually come retrieve them when people are not around. Cottontail rabbits make their “nests” in small depressions in the grass. They are frequently disturbed by people when they are mowing their grass or raking. In addition, dogs and cats find these nests and often kill or injure the babies. If you find bunnies, just don’t mow that area for a week or so. Most whitetail deer fawns will lie very still, often in high grass and their mothers keep their distance except while nursing.Baby birds on the ground with some feathers are “fledglings” learning to fly. You can put those up on a low branch. Mother birds will still feed them. They can’t smell you! Birds don’t have a sense of smell like mammals do. Fledglings normally will jump or fall out of the nest. This is their Baby birds that are naked for the most part (featherless or feathers just starting to come in) are considered to be “nestlings”. These birds stay in the nest and the parents come to feed them there. These babies are sometimes found on the ground directly below the nest. This occurs either because the baby fell out, blew out, or was “pushed” out by a sibling. This last behavior is actually adaptive for some species. This way only the strongest of the brood survive and go on to raise young themselves. “flight training” stage. The mother bird will continue feeding the bird on the ground until the bird is able to fly in a few days. Unless injured, these birds should be left where they are. Keep pets and curious children away from the bird so the mother can continue to feed it.The best thing to do is to try to place the bird back in its nest back up off the ground. If the nest cannot be reached, construct a simple “makeshift” nest. This is also the procedure to use if you find the whole nest on the ground. Get a clean small plastic container or plastic berry basket. Make holes in the bottom to allow for water drainage. Line the bowl with a couple of paper towels. Attach the makeshift nest back up in the tree as close to the original nest as possible. Place the baby bird into this and leave. The parents will usually come back in a short time and will feed the babies in it just like it was the original nest. Often you will see the mother going back and forth between each “nest” feeding both sets of babies.A young animal’s best chance for survival is to be raised by its natural mother. It is important to make every effort to try to return the young to its mother. ONLY after all efforts to reunite them have been exhausted and failed should you assume the baby is orphaned.

Are They Really Orphans ?

Don’t keep a wild animal as a pet. Most birds and mammals are protected by law and it is illegal to have them in your possession without permits from the federal and state government. Besides being illegal, wild animals don’t make good pets. Although baby animals are cute, they often become aggressive and destructive in captivity. It usually ends badly for the owner and the animal. Also, wild animals can carry diseases and parasites that can be transmitted to humans and pets. Most “adopted” baby animals die shortly anyway because of special dietary needs not being met.The only time you might consider bringing the baby animal in is if you KNOW that the mother is dead or if the babies are injured in any way. The baby may needs medical attention if there is the presence of an obvious wound or injury such as a cat or dog bite; or it appears to be cold, weak, or listless.

However, my personal take on this is that is an animal is injured it is best left to nature. I don’t necessarily want it to suffer, but my philosophy is one of survival of the fittest in the wild. I may make an exception for a rare, threatened or endangered species, but in general let’s not forget that injured and orphaned animals left to die are part of nature’s cycle and are another animal’s food.

If you find a native animal which appears to be sick, injured or truly orphaned and you want to help, getting the animal to a wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible is its best chance for survival. The longer the delay, the less chance it has of surviving. Contact a rehabilitator and follow their instructions.

Keep it warm and in a quiet, dark place (like a cardborad box) until you can bring it to the rehabber. A small cardboard box works well. Do not give the baby any liquids or food. Keep the baby quiet and warm and avoid unnecessary handling. Don’t try to cuddle or comfort it. This only adds to its stress. Keep dogs, cats and children away.

Also in almost all cases YOU will have to transport the animal to the rehabilitation facility yourself. You took it from the wild, and it is now your responsibility You’ve cared enough to rescue the baby, so please take the next step and place it with someone who is trained and experienced with wildlife. Be aware that if you moved it from the wild you are now responsible for it. that is a big responsibility. Wildlife Rehabilitators have the training, experience, and supplies needed for treating orphaned and injured wildlife. The faster the baby receives the appropriate care, the better its chances for survival. In the wild, the skills to survive are taught by maternal example. Without maternal presence, the babies can be slowly educated by through the surrogate mothering of the experienced wildlife rehabilitator.

Connecticut has an extensive network of organizations, agencies, and individuals who rescue wild animals in need. The primary goal of any wildlife rehabilitator is to increase an animal’s chances of surviving in the wild once the animal is released. Most rehabbers are volunteers and not government agencies and will appreciate a monetary donation from you to help support the animal that you bring to them.

Do not release wild animals (or pets) animals at a local nature center or park. This is a violation of Connecticut DEP policy. These introduced animals will not survive there and will disrupt the balance of the animal populations.

Finding a Rehabilitator

Click Here for a list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators by town and species they are licensed to help. Contact them and see if they are able to take the animal.

You can also contact the Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Protection Wildlife Division. During office hours: 860-424-3963, 24-hour hotline: 860-424-3333. You can also contact your local nature center for help and another good CT resource is Wildlife in Crisis in Weston, CT, 203-544-9913.